Vintage Gibson 1951 GA-20 Spotted

[schundog]

I was walking around Monster Pawn's Springfield, IL, store, seeing the usual junk, ready to leave, when I spotted this 50s Gibson amp. I took a closer look, plugged it in and played it a bit. No cracks or pops, and sounded pretty good. It was pretty rough, and looked like someone had tried to repaint it to disguise it's natural blemishes after such a long time. I also don't know if it had ever had been re-capped/gone over by an amp tech in the last 60-plus years. As cool as it was, I couldn't bring myself to spring for $800 plus tax, their bottom-dollar on the item. I tried not to visibly show a sigh of relief when they refused my lower offer. Don't need it, but how stinkin' cool is this thing?!

 

 

 

 

Microphone and Instrument inputs. Sounded good/different through both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New leather handle added sometime recently. Understandable, given the age.

 

[Vanschoyck]

Really cool, that's how cool.

[golferwave]

Beautiful old amp. Just waiting for the right person.

[Kuz]

Those old Gibson amps are super cool and great to look at, but they aren't very practical. Low watts and smaller transformers don't give much headroom until they start breaking up. That's cool if you want a distorted amp, but they are kind of a one trick pony.

[Gitfiddler]

That is a cool old amp, Brian. I owned a GA20 very similar to that one and it can sound sweet with single coils or P90's.

 

One thing I recall is its 'vintage smell' whenever it warmed up. Maybe it was the old cabinet, dried glue or possibly just hot asbestos.

 

Here's how they can sound in the hands of a great player (Greg's Guitars)...at low volumes...

 

Tele:

 

LP:

 

[tulk1]

I'm always as interested in the glass in these oldies as anything. Hard to tell from the pics whats really in it. If one collected amps, I could see it. But just because it's old .........

[DetroitBlues]

I've often heard how wonderful and affordable they are. But at that price, would it be cheaper to build a clone or take a chance on a vintage one? Plus, was the power cable changed to a three prong?

[schundog]

I'm always as interested in the glass in these oldies as anything. Hard to tell from the pics whats really in it. If one collected amps, I could see it. But just because it's old .........

 

I totally agree. I probably could not have resisted if it were a Fender model that I really wanted and could be saved, however.

I've often heard how wonderful and affordable they are. But at that price, would it be cheaper to build a clone or take a chance on a vintage one? Plus, was the power cable changed to a three prong?

 

Power cable had been replaced with a 3 prong plug. Otherwise, I'd have had the employee plug it in...

 

Regarding your other question, I guess it's somewhat 6 to one, a half dozen the other. If I were a "real," regularly gigging musician, I'd probably go with a clone or even a Re-Issue for reliability sake. I'm not. That said, I have my 4 or 5 year old KPB810 Tweed Deluxe Clone, and 2 vintage Fender amps that have been serviced and have had the caps replaced. I chronicled the journey of the 1977 Vibrolux Reverb earlier in the year, and I have to say, the back and forth with the amp tech on that one was a lot of fun, and having heard how weak it was prior to the work to how good it sounded afterwards really made me appreciate how important it is to replace the components that have outlived their usefulness. If I knew for a fact that all of that work had been done on the Gibson that needed to be done, I might have bit, but probably not. Like I said earlier, I guess I'm just a Fender amp guy.

[Kuz]

I've often heard how wonderful and affordable they are. But at that price, would it be cheaper to build a clone or take a chance on a vintage one? Plus, was the power cable changed to a three prong?

 

Not really because they don't make the old heavy "iron" (transformers) like they used to, and that is one of the reasons why a vintage amp sounds so good.

[ElNumero]

Somebody I knew found one along the curbside once on trash day. No lie. He backed up, tossed it in his trunk and scored a nice vintage amp free.

[rwinking]

I love the mic stand in that video!

[212Mavguy]

That amp has potential coolness, but lackamus maximus in the bang for buck department. It ain't cool until it works right or better than when new.

 

Better opportunities existed with Lectrolab R600 and Harmony H306A in my personal experiences, the amount on the price tag for that Gibby amp would have paid for acquisition, vintage speaker, replacement output transformer. filter, paper in oil tone caps, and vintage old stock tube replacements that I did to the Lectrolab. The Harmony has 300-350 more than original cost in upgrades as well, even so less than 600 total into it...Either of those amps deliver warm, rich tones with great sustain and harmonic content, both have bias tremolo circuits that audible add their own harmonic content. The Lectrolabs are not common in that model, but the Harmony can be found more commonly for half to two thirds of that Gibby price. DeArmond R15 owners eat your heart out..these amps are easily that good.

 

YMMV...

[schundog]

Thanks for the tip, Mavguy, I know you really know your stuff, so I feel better about passing on this one. Lackamus Maximus, eh?! Reminds me of this scene from an all-time classic, "The Life Of Brian." (Of course....)

 

Go to 1:50 to get to Pilate mentioning his "vewy good fwend in Wome...."

 

[mark555]

Somebody I knew found one along the curbside once on trash day. No lie. He backed up, tossed it in his trunk and scored a nice vintage amp free

I love to hear stories like that, they really make me smile !! Good for your friend!

[Gianluca]

maybe already referenced in some older post

 

The Doug&Pat show on the old Gibson amps GA 20, 30 and 40:

(part one)